8-Year-Old Chinese Boy Caught Smuggling His Pet Turtle at Airport

September 4, 2014

When you read about smuggling in China, it is usually on a grand scale involving endangered species. In this case, it was a mere love of a pet that caused this boy to do what he did. An 8-year-old boy, seemingly distraught by demands from his grandmother to let his pet turtle go before they boarded a plane at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in China took matters into his own hands and tried to hide the chelonian in his underpants before boarding the plane.

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Congcong Tai was caught trying to smuggle his pet turtle. The turtle was allowed to travel in the cargo area of the plane.

Congcong Tai thought all was well as he attempted to go through security when he was flagged. The airport security officers, according to the Guangzhou Daily, noticed a moving bulge in the boy’s pants and asked if he was hiding anything. Security staff questioned the boy, who tried to hide the animal with his hands. Security eventually looked down his pants and saw a small yellow turtle moving its head from side to side.

The staff removed the turtle and checked it and the boy for health, and then guess what, they agreed to let the reptile travel in the cargo area and release the turtle to the boy’s parents when they arrived at their destination.

John B. Virata keeps a ball python, two corn snakes, a king snake, and two leopard geckos. His first snake, a California kingsnake, was purchased at the Pet Place in Westminster, CA for $5. Follow him on Twitter @johnvirata